CLIMATE NEWS NETWORK AFRICA

By Charles Ogallo Hundreds of Kenyans took the Weekend of World Clean-up to the coastal beaches after a report named Kenya the second worst polluter of the ocean in Africa. Over 1,000 volunteers’ organizations and individuals came out this time to participate in the annual International Clean-up held at the Jomo Kenyatta Public Beach in Mombasa on 19th September 2009 in what was seen as an attempt to prove the report wrong this year. The Coastal Clean-up exercise was also held in Kilifi, Malindi, Diani, Watamu, Shimoni, Kikambala, Fort Jesus and English Point where hundreds of other volunteers gathered to clear the beaches of debris . According to last years International Ocean Report done by over 148 ocean conservancies in Washington DC, Kenya was named the second worst polluters in the shame list after Nigeria. Used shotgun shells, over 2000 used condoms, fridges and gas cookers were collected during the last years clean -up exercise in Watamu and Shimoni along the Kenyan Coast, the

By Kojanews African countries now want cash from main polluters as compensation for environmental damages. But question many people ask is why Africa, yet again, a special case? Yet the whole world is suffering at the moment. All have obligations to the environment, and all need to take more responsibility. African nations are among the lightest polluters but analysts say they will suffer the most from climate change. Representatives of 10 African countries met recently in Ethiopia to try to agree a common position on climate change, months before a crucial UN meeting where they renewed their demands for billions of dollars in compensation for Africa because of damage caused by global warming. They also renewed their calls for rich nations to cut emissions by 40 percent by 2012. But experts say the move to agree a common negotiating platform for Africa recognizes the continent's failure to make its voice heard on the debate. Environmentalist Alice Kaudia reiterated Kenya’s foreign